Children of Ordene
The Children do not have any specific deities, one could call them spiritual, but not particularly dogmatic. The Children say that they are the eyes of the World; that their purpose is to communicate with the other life in the World, and see to the wellbeing of the Natural world. They regard the Mother Tree as their mother, and hold her in the highest respect. If asked, a Child will probably use the World as their deity. Introduction They are borne from their Mother Tree; A Child who aged to full maturity and gone into a dormant state, growing into a Mother Tree. The Children are essentially seeds of the Mother Tree, though only a select few ever become one. The Mother Tree does not communicate and is not sentient. The Children generally believe that the Mother Tree can guide them through meditation and show them signs, but there is no demonstrable evidence of this. They gather tropical fruits that can’t be grown in other parts of the world, and trade with the other races. They also have extensive knowledge of herbs, and often sell potions and medicinal goods around the world. A threat to nature is a threat to the Children of Ordene. They share a close connection to the wilderness that surrounds them, and often consider the balance of nature to be of most importance. If their Mother Tree is destroyed, they relocate to another. If All the Mother Trees were to be destroyed, the Children would have a hard time surviving before a new Mother Tree can come into maturity. Because the Children are so plant-like, stillness gives them a statuesque quality; when among the other races, Children consciously move slightly so as not to make the other races feel uncomfortable. Because of this natural stillness, herbivores pose the largest threat if a Child is still for too long (being mistaken for a regular plant). Children tend to have a close connection to the surrounding flora and fauna, and are usually safe from other animals, though if an animal were to feel threatened by a Child, the Child may be in danger. Physical Description Childlike in stature and appearance, they rarely get taller than 5 feet; most are between 4 and 4’ 6” tall. They are plant-humanoids who live in the jungles of Ordene. Their skin is typically varying shades of green , their hair grows as petals or leaves from their head. When they are young they are greener and softer; as they age their skin may toughen and turn more brown and bark-like, sometimes growing armor-like protrusions. Their bones are like heartwood, while their muscles are softer, but strong. Their bodies can change, much in the way plants do, and their general appearance changes depending on the time of year. Since they don't have traditional genitalia, they usually don’t worry about clothing when in the jungle; but traveling Children typically grow clothes-like coverings of petals and leaves for the comfort of the other races. Growing takes about as much time as a tree or other plant would take depending on the body part in question. Clothes and hair may take days or weeks, while crowns and hard, bark-like armor may take months or years to develop. Life Cycle Reproduction The Mother Tree produces fruit pods that have the potential to bloom into the Children of Ordene. Because they are the Children of the Earth (that was two females rolled into one), Children are born female, and appear with varying levels of androgyny. All Children produce pollen during the spring months to aid The Mother Tree in producing fruit. The pollen is not male sperm, but the genetic code of the Child that it comes from. Since most fruits won’t produce a Child, certain flowers are selected for pollination to ensure the growth of a Child. Only flowers that are properly pollinated have the ability to produce a Child. Birth They are born from a rare species of tree that is only known to grow on the Peninsula of Ordene (though there have been stories of these trees sprouting up in other lands). The tree bears fruit-like pods that mature and break open once the Child has matured enough to survive in the outside world. Children are born green and soft, like spring leaves, and their heads are smooth. Lifespan Forest Children can live as long as any tree so long as they’re not killed. Some are said to be over a thousand years old. They mature slower than other races, with young Children being greener and softer in appearance, and Elders looking more rough and tree-like. A Child is seen as “mature” when they receive their first set of branches for their crown; as a Child ages they will grow more branches from their head. Their branches are antler-like in appearance, but are made of wood and will sprout leaves and flowers as the seasons change. Children may train their branches into a certain style, but they are almost never cut. To cut off a Child’s “crown” would be a terrible crime and is often used as punishment of Children who commit a severe crime. Once a Child has aged enough to receive a Full Crown (which may take well over a couple hundred years) they are old enough to become a Mother Tree after death. Children with Full Crowns are considered Elders, and when they ‘die’ they will become a new Mother Tree. Children are essentially seeds of The Mother Tree and require the long maturing period before their seed can grow. Death/Decay Children who have a Full Crown are considered Elders, when they decide it’s their time, or when they are too old to travel quickly, they can go into a dormant state and begin growing as a new Mother Tree. At this point the Child is essentially dead and is now a new Mother Tree. Children who die before they have a Full Crown decompose much like other plant matter around them and are usually buried in catacombs underneath the Mother Tree they were born from. Causes of premature death are usually things that affect plants and humans; infections from mold/bugs/open wounds, being chopped in half, drowning in water, etc. Culture Architecture Children build their homes in the branches and trunk of the mother tree and nearby in the jungle. Their style of build can vary depending on where in the jungle they are and what resources are available. The most common method is to train small flexible branches into a shelter. As the branches grow they will create a more robust shelter. Due to the warm climate in the jungle, and biology of the children, the shelters are mostly for looks, privacy, and shelter during a bad storm. Much like plants, children can be exposed to too much water. In places where a mother tree is too young or the trees are not as large as they are in the jungle, children will use local resources such as dead wood or even build homes in the earth if they are in a dryer climate. Dry climates are the hardest for children to thrive in, due to their need for water. They are rarely seen in the dry lands. Unlike the Kai , Children lose their moisture faster and need a more constant supply of water or moisture, hence the earthen homes in the more southern regions. Family Structure Since children don't birth each other directly, their family structure is based loosely on seniority and personal connections. The phrase "it takes a village to raise a child" applies well with this culture. Older children will usually adopt young ones and play a parental role while the new child learns the ropes and matures, but there is definitely a group effort. Education The Children don’t have a hard rule for education, and break it up into two categories: general education, and specialization. Early education includes writing, reading, and general taste of their culture and possible fields of study. Depending on their strengths and/or interests, Children are then assigned to a Master(or the next most knowledgeable) who teaches them the finer points of their chosen field; for example a Child interested in Medicine will be shown which plants give which effects, how to harvest, when to harvest, how to prepare, and how much to use for a desired effect. Children who are interested in travel will be taught to be fully fluent in the common language, and may pursue the native languages of the other races as well. Future Elders are also chosen during this time in a Young Child’s life. During their general education Elders observe children in their communities, and through a series of discrete tests, choose a child, or children, to be trained to become an Elder. Among these children, a High Elder will be chosen. The goal is to choose children with the proper temperaments, so as to avoid a hot blooded and irrational leader. Openness, adaptability, and tranquility are highly valued. Hot headedness, is avoided, as is Ego. Passion, however, is looked upon a bit more favorably, but still with some caution. Music/Dance The Ordene have a variety of instruments they enjoy, mostly made of wood, with some including animal parts such as skin for drums, and parts for stringed instruments. The instrumental families they enjoy are percussion, woodwinds, and string. Dance is varied among the clans, with wide varieties of folk dance, and more traditional performances during festivals and ceremonies. Traditional Ordene dance is graceful and elegant, emphasizing the smooth and graceful motions that the Ordene are capable of making. Folk dances tend to be a bit more upbeat, and are used during celebrations and parties. Sports Children enjoy healthy competition and have a variety of games that are popular. Some simple games involve climbing to a certain branch in a certain amount of time. Races of all sorts are popular. Hunting is also a popular sport among the Children. They don't believe in killing for sport, so instead an animal is secretly tagged and released, and the goal is to track it down and capture it. Diet/Cuisine Children can survive off water and sunlight alone, but to thrive they need to eat like the other races. They eat vegetables and fruits, and enjoy a wide array of spices thanks to their exotic location. The Mother Tree grows fruit pods twice a year; a select few produce children, while most simply grow as a fruit through something like parthenocarpy. These fruits are a real treat for the Children while also providing the opportunity for preserving and selling the fruits to the other races. These fruits are used in ceremony dishes during the birthing season. She also makes a kind of sap, usually before flowering and after birthing, that provides nourishment for the children. The sap is honey-like, and is much like a meal replacement in its nutrient content. The Ordene don’t eat meat often, but when they do their preferences start with fish and work up to the richer meats from larger animals. They don’t eat the richer meats that the other races may enjoy unless it can’t be avoided; believing large animals to be too important to the ecosystem to eat, and believing that the Kai eat enough meat to compensate for both races. When aborad, they would rather eat meat that’s offered to them, than offend a host. Fashion When fashion applies to the Ordene, they like to keep it natural. They can grow their own clothes, though it takes time depending on the style, complexity, or intended material. Many believe eating the fruits and seeds of a fruit or seed bearing plant will encourage the growth to emulate that particular plant more closely, so the seeds of a plant are always valuable to the Ordene, if only for fashionable purposes. Some plants are more popular than others, be it for their flowers, their color, or their leaves. Many herb shops carry a variety of popular, rare, and common seeds for sale to the other races (Children get them free). Some Children take it a step further and Silk is popular as an accessory, especially when traveling. Economy They don’t have a currency that they use amongst each other, but they do run businesses when interacting with other races. They don’t prefer money, but find it useful for obtaining goods from the other races, and so they adopt the monetary system when dealing with the other races (this can be compared to giving things to your guild mates for free, but charging money on the auction house for non-guild members). When in their homeland they simply share, especially the clans who live in the healthiest parts of the jungle. In areas where the Kai have overharvested, children are seen living more like the rest of the world, putting up businesses and supplementing their livelihood with what they earn when the jungle can’t provide enough. Their main exports are herbs, medicine/potions, fruits and vegetables. Language The Ordenes language is very similar to Japanese and follows many of the same rules. English - ‘Hello. My name is ____. I might need to use the bathroom.’ Japanese (grammar guide) - ‘Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa _____ desu. Toire ga hitsuyo ni naru koto ga arimasu.’ Ordene - ‘chiala. Ira na fueri e __ neta. Chabur wo neshi i ari mona da shinata. Religion The Ordene do not have a deity or an organized religion, they believe they are the consciousness of the earth, and generally accept the Acquilans explanation of evolution.They believe that the Earth bore them in order to watch over itself and keep the natural world healthy. The Earth is their creator, their mother, their “goddess”. “Spiritual” would be the best way to describe them, since they are not very scientifically minded and don’t have a holy book or strict dogma that they follow. They are slightly superstitious, believing certain foods and customs to be particularly auspicious during certain times of the year; though it’s thought that these continue because of tradition, as opposed to belief. Ordene seem to believe in the placebo effect, believing that performing an auspicious custom is more likely to encourage one to perform better because they believe the custom will help, as opposed to the custom actually doing anything. An example of this would be from the movie Space Jam, where plain water is used as a sort of potion to boost the team’s spirits and allow them perform better; this is very similar to how the Ordene approach their ancient customs. They revere nature, and celebrate the seasons and key points in the year, such as flowering season, fruit season, and the dormant season. They hold festivals during these times that involve music, dance, and food. Festivals usually last a few days, or up to a week, allowing all children to take part in the festivities and enjoy themselves. The Elders tend to lead the rest of the children in these celebrations, usually giving an uplifting speech, telling stories, and giving history lessons to remind everyone where these traditions came from. These happen at certain times of the day, usually in the morning or evening; attendance to these presentations isn’t mandatory, but favored. Politics The Children are lead by their elders. The oldest of the Children is considered to be the Matriarch. Each clan is lead by the eldest in that clan, and those leaders make up the council of the Matriarch. Decisions are made by the Matriarch and her council, though the general feelings of the rest of the Children and Sisters (when applicable) are taken into consideration. Matriarch > High Elders > Elders Decisions are made on a need-to-make basis, unless the general opinion of the Ordene is desired; in this case, the idea is open to public discussion and any Ordene may make their case. This is usually given about a year to happen before the matriarch comes to a decision. United Council Together the races have created a council consisting of the leaders of each race and a chosen group of council members that only serve the United Council. This would mean there are 6 leaders at the core of the United Council; two from each race. There are then two stewards for each nation within the races, who serve as the voice for their nation when in conference with the Council, and also the voice of the Council when communicating to their nation. Final decisions are made by the 6 leaders of the Council; while stewards handle diplomacy between the nations, and attempt to curry favor for their case, whatever it may be. The United Council tends to be the place to end disputes, but only if the Council can reach an agreement. This has shown to be complicated when a race decides not to take a stance on a dispute between two other races, as seen in the “The God’s Anger” where the Acquilans refuse to make decisions on the conflict between the Kai and the Ordene, allowing the conflict to reach a boiling point. People/Places of Interest Prydari This young Mother Tree is the most recent sapling to grow in the Jungles. Her trunk is not nearly large enough to house any Children, but her followers have set up a cozy settlement around her among the existing trees. She’s the previous Matriarch, named Prydari, and sprouted not long before Eriu took her place. The Great Mother This is the oldest Mother Tree on the Peninsula of Ordene. Since the Children moved from their old home to the lush jungles, this was their first settlement. She's been growing for 800 years. Frigg A smaller Mother Tree set on the edge of the Jungle. It's been faced with some severe deforestation by the Kai, and the center of hostilities. Category:Places of Interest